Ultimately, I'm just disappointed that the club appear to have shafted a business that flies the flag for us so well. I do hope the bridge hasn't been burned entirely.
As for the the fan zone, in whatever form it does finally take, it was created to drive footfall to the ground earlier, and generate more revenue from food and drink. I do not think it will achieve that aim if it is 'standard' bottled and canned options akin to the CSH. The fans who were interested in this project will likely to continue to drink in the town centre pre-game, probably at the bar that we could have had at the ground.
Very strongly agree with this sentiment. I thought the Libero link-up was a big plus for the Club: good beer, local ind. company, likely to bring fans in earlier etc. As a general point, I think the Club needs to exercise care moving forward into the professional era, and they will need to tread carefully the fine line that separates the core fan base from the (new) corporate backers who may stipulate unpopular demands in return for their sponsorship. An interesting, local comparison might be to Sale FC who rebranded themselves as Sale Sharks in the run up to rugby going professional. There, the board marketed the Club aggressively to attract a larger crowd that they hoped would ensure their survival. While they have been successful in making the transition (propped up by RFU money?) I think the fan base has altered dramatically and would be unrecognisable from their time at Heywood Road. As we move into this new pro-era, we must be prepared to embrace change, but not forget our roots, what it is we stand for, and the reason why we chose to support Alty in the first place.